Cover for spare tires of automobiles



?- arch 8, 1932. G. A. LYON 1,849,013

COVER FOR SPARE TIRES OF AUTOMOBILES .Original Filed May 21, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR GFO/FG'L' ALBERT zyo/v N O Y L A G COVER FORSPARE TIRES OF AUTOMOBILES Original Filed May 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet\NVENTOR 650/265 ALEERr 4mm- Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE GEORGE ALBERT LYON, OF ALLENHURST, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO LYONINCOR- POBATED, OF ASBUBY PARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 01' DELAWARECOVER FOR SPARE TIRES OF AUTOMOBILES Original application filed Kay 21,1928, Serial No. 279,292, and in Canada Kay 16, 1929. Divided and thisapplication filed June 14, 1929. Serial No. 370,842.

This invention relates to covers for spare tires carried uponautomobiles.

The usual spare tire cover consists of a canvas casing coated withwaterproofing material and formed to fit the contour of the spare tireand carrier. These tire covers are unattractive in appearance and aresubject to shrinkage so that they are diflicult to apply to a tire afterhaving been in use for a relatively short time. Such casings also oftencannot be applied to a tire so that they will fit the tire smoothly.They also wear out quickly and are readily torn, articulai'ly whenstruck by another car, as often happens under congested trafficconditions. They also do not constitute a satisfactory protection forthe tire against damage in case of collision. The

ordinary tire cover, since it is made of a high 1y flexible material,not only wrinkles readily but, when applied to a tire, conforms to theprojections or roughnesses on the tire so that it does not present asmooth outer surface.

The principal object of the present invention is to produce a cover forthe spare tire of an automobile which has a highly attractiveappearance, which may be readily applied to the tire,which is strong anddurable in construction, which will protect the tire in a reliablemanner against weatherand damage from collision, and which will presenta smooth outer surface at all times.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises the noveland improved features, constructions and combinations of partshereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, theadvantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by thoseskilled in the art.

The present application constitutes a division of applicants pendingapplication Se rial No. 279,292 filed May 21, 1928.

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawingsillustrating the invention in its preferred form and the followingdetailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation illustrating a tirecover embodying the invention applied to a tire;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 11

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1 and alsoshowing a bumper on the rear of a car to which the tire cover isapplied;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantlally on the line 4-4 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in front elevation illustrating a portion of thetire cover shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive;

Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation illustratin another format theinvention; and

ig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 7--7 of Fig.6.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, thetire cover 20 is especially constructed to be applied to a tire 22mounted on a rim 24 supported on a tire carrier 26 at the rear of a Icar having a bumper located relatively close to the tire, as shown inFig. 3. The tire cover is constructed so that in applying the same tothe t re, the cover may be inserted from above through a limited spacebetween the tire and the bumper. In the construction shown, the upperportion of the tire cover is shaped to cover one side of the tire andthe peripheralportion thereof, and to overhang the tire upon theopposite side thereof. In order that the cover may be applied to thetire from above by inserting the same between the bumper and the tire,the cover is formed so that it gradually diminishes in lateraldimensions rom the upper to the lower portion of the cover, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2. With this construction the upper portion of the covercovers the exposed face of the tire, extends across the periphery, andoverhangs the opposite face of the tire to maintain itself in positionupon the tire when applied thereto. The lower portion of the cover isformed to extend only overthe outer or exposed side of the tire, asshown in Fig. 2, and is provided with straps indicated at 26 Y forsecuring the same in position upon the tire. v

The cover shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is provided with cylindricalbeads 28 at its I margins. The cover is formed with slots 30- e for thepassage of the straps.

for the passage of the straps 26 and the tire cover is secured to thetire by passing the straps through the slots 30, about the beads 28 andabout the tire and rim and the ends of the straps are secured togetherin substantially the manner shown in Fig. 4.

In applying the tire cover to the tire, the lower or narrower portion ofthe cover is inserted between the bumper and the tire and the upper orwider portion of the cover is applied to the tire in substantially themanner illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The straps 26 are then secured inplace to attach the cover to the tire.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the tirecover is applied to the spare tire mounted upon the running board of acar. As shown in these figures, the lower portion of the tire is locatedin a recess 32 in the running board 34. The upper portion of the tirerests against a racket 36 projecting from the si e of the car. a

In the construction shown in these figures the cover has substantiallythe same shape in cross section as the cover shown in Fig. 1, exceptthat it is cut away where the tire enters the recess 32 in the runningboard and is shaped along its margin adjacent the running board toconform to the shape of the running board. The cover shown in thesefigures may be formed as a continuous ring in cases where it ma beapplied to the tire without expansion 0 the ring.

The tire cover shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is secured in position withrelation to the tire by means of a series of straps indicated at 38. Thecover is provided at its margins with cylindrical beads indicated at 40and is formed with slots 42 adjacent the beads The straps are passedabout the beads of the cover and about the tireand rim and the ends ofthe straps are secured together in the manner shown particularly in Fig.7, to secure the cover in place with relation to the tire.

The tire cover above described has the advantages that it is strong anddurable in construction and that it will efiiciently protect the tireboth from the weather and from injury to which the tire may be subjectedin case of collision by contact of another car with the tire. The coverbeing made of relatively stifli' sheet material, will maintain its shapeso that it will always present a smooth attractive outer surface. Whenmade of sheet metal, the principal parts of the cover may be stamped outwith suitable dies, thereby enabling the covers to be made in quantitiesat a relatively small cost. The cover may be enameled in any desiredcolor, and when made of sheet metal, may be plated with nickel. A coverof the construction shown in the drawings of this application will behighly attractive in appearance and will add greatly to thebeauty of thecar. The cover in each case may be quickly and easily applied to thetire and as quickly and easily detached therefrom.

It is to be understood that the terms ring, annular, ring-shaped, andsimilar terms employed in the specification and claims to defineapplicants cover are not limited to a construction in which the cover orthe portion or portions thereof defined by these terms have the form ofa complete ring, but that these terms also apply to a construction inwhich the cover or the portion or portions thereof defined have the formof a portion of a ring only.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and havingspecifically described a construction embodying the invention in itspreferred form, what is claimed is:

1. A protective metallic cover for a spare tire on a vehicle comprisinga circular plate for covering substantially the entire exposed outerside wall of the tire and a circular rim portion at the upper portion ofthe plate for covering only a part of the entire outer periphery of thetire and having its lower edges extending transversely and diagonallyacross the periphery of the tire from the rear side of the tire to thefront side thereof, and thus terminating in said side plate.

2. A protective metallic cover for a spare tire on a vehicle comprisinga circular plate for covering substantially the entire exposed outerside wall of the tire, a circular rim portion at the upper portion ofthe plate for covering only a part of the entire outer periphery of thetire and having its lower edges extending transversely and diagonallyacross the periphery of the tire from the rear side of the tire to thefront side thereof, and thus terminating in said side plate, and meansassociated with said rim portion for retaining the cover in proper tireprotecting position.

3. A protective metallic cover formed to be shoved downwardly onto aspare tire on a 1 vehicle comprising a circular side plate portion fordisposition over an outer side wall of a spare tire and an arcuate rimportion at the top of the plate portion for covering only a part of theentire outer periphery of the I tire and having its lower edgesextending transversely across the outer periphery of the tire from therear side of the tire to the front side thereof and thus terminating insaid side plate portion, said rim portion having its rear edge'at thetop of the cover extending inwardly from the outer periphery of the tirealongside the rear edge of the tire tread so as to overhang the tread ofthe tire and thus prevent lateral displacement of the cover on the tire.

4. A protective metallic cover formed to be shoved downwardly onto aspare tire on an automobile, comprising a circular side plate portionfor dispositionover an outer side wall of a spare tire and an arcuaterim portion at the top of the plate portion for covering only'a part ofthe entire outer peripher of the tire and having its lower edges 'extening transversely across the outer periphery of the tire from the rearside of the tire to the front side thereof and thus ter- 1 minating insaid side plate portion, said rim portion having its rear edge at thetop of the cover extending inwardly from the outer periphery of the tirealongside the rear edge of the tire tread so as to overhang the tread ofthe tire and thus prevent lateral displacement of the cover on the tire,said side plate portion being of such circumferential length as tosubstantially cover the exposed outer side wall of the tire on theautomobile. Y I Signed at Asbury Park, N. J this 4th day of June, 1929.

' GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

